Pipe-cleaner



H. M. MURPHY.

PIPE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1920. I 1,369,903, Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

\ Ema-l D ATE? "eXTeNT OFFICE.

HOWARD M. MURPHY OI PHILADELPHIA; PENNSYLVANIA.

- PIPE-CLEANER.

' To all whom it may concern:

' Philadelphia, in the county of Be it known that I, HOWARD M. MURPHY, ,1. citizen of the United States residing at lhiladelphia and'State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe-stem-cleaners, and more specifically to a device for boring incrustations and wiping gummy accumulations out of tobacco-p1pe-stems.

The main object of this 1nvent1on.1s' to generally improve upon devices of this charproviding an improved structure acter'b which 1s exceedingly convenient and effective, strong and durable, simple andcheap, as well as comparatively ornamental; the main parts .being embodied in. a shank formed of a length of wire, this shank having a peripheral or helical groove that serves the several functions of clearing the cutting edge, removing the cuttings or loosened incrustations from the pi'pe-stem,-

and helping to secure a wiping strip on the shank.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out or implied in the following de-' tails of description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the device in a pipe, the pipe being in longitudinal vertical section. 7

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the front end part of the device. I

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.2, but viewed in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view along the line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the device having a' wiping strip applied thereto and in operatlon in a pipestem. Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner of applying mywiping stri or one of the wiping strlps which is 0 special spond with similar parts throughout the Specification of Letters Patent.

several views, and in which the pipe .is shown nier'ely to show the application and use of the device at a glance, the invention consists in the construction and arrange- Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Application filed May 27, 1920. Serial No. 384,565.

ment ofparts which will now be described as follows:

Broadly, the device consists of a shank 1 and a head or handle 2. The shank is of equal diameter throughout its length, and its front endportlon is provided with a cuttmgedge 3, a helical or peripheral groove 4:, and an approximately axially parallel slot 5. This slot, however, is not exactly parallel with'the axis of rotation of the shank, but isrslightly inclined to this axis and terminates thereat and in the periphery of the shank; that is, it extends through the periphery and provides a tongue 6 that is parallel with the opposite side of the slot,

so that a wipin strip of cloth or paper canshown in Figs. 5 and 6, rearward of the rear end of the helical groove 4, and is inserted in and withdrawn from the pipe-stem by a clockwise movement as well as a longitudinal movement, while the strip of paper 1s held against the handle 2 by pressure of a thumb or finger of the user. The strip 8 is preferably of soft and strong tissue paper, and in practice, a package of several dozen, fifty or a hundred of these strips will be sold or given away with each of the devices for applying them. These strips may have advertising matter and directions for using printed thereon. -They are preferably tapering, as shown, and the broad end may be inserted in the slot for special purposes, such,

for instance, as wiping out the bowls of meerschaum pipes, or in wiping out rela-1- tively large cavities in plpes of special construction. When the strip is thus wound,

it is wound over the helical groove, and if suificient lateral pressure is applied to the strip, over the groove, the strip is. pressed into the groove so that the latter co-acts with the slot for securmg the strip on the shank I that it is formed at the terminal of a twisted or helical part forming a wall of the helical roove'4.

T e head or handle 2 may be of any preferred size and shape, but 15; preferably cylindrical and milled or knurled as shown, so that the user can rotate the device by rolling the handle 2 between the thumb and finger, and can pull the device from the pipe-stem without danger of the handle slipping from his grip. This form of handle is ornamental also, and may be made more so by gold-plating it to serve as an ornament to protrude from a pocket when it is in the pipe and the pipe-stem extends toward the inlet of the pocket.

- It is not intended to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and arrangement as shown and described, but

changes may be made within the scope of the inventive idea as implied and clalmed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A pipe-cleaner comprising a shank havin a handle on one end and having its ot 'er end formed with a cutting edge and with a helical groove extending inward from said cuttin' edge, the shank also being formed wit a slot which intersects its periphery at the inner end of! said helical oo-ve and extends thence inward toward 40 said handle, and toward the axis around which the shank is rotatable to actuate the cutting edge, said helical roove being effective to receive cuttings rom said cutting edge and also to coact with saidslot to hold a wiping strip, substantially as described,

for the purpose specified.

2. The structure defined by claim 1 in combmation with a wiping strip which tapers from end to end and is attachable to said shank-,by inserting either end in said slot for either forming a helical, coil for cleaning the interior of pipe stems, 'or forming .a mop-like covering over the helical groove and cutting edge.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HOWARD M. MURPHY. 

